


The Switch

by makingitwork



Series: Chase/House [58]
Category: House M.D.
Genre: Happy Ending, Humour, M/M, Magic, Sex mentioned, Witch Curses, body switching, but some slash, kinda pre-slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-21
Updated: 2014-09-21
Packaged: 2018-02-18 07:20:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2339894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/makingitwork/pseuds/makingitwork
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>House and Chase switch bodies for three days.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Switch

**Author's Note:**

> Prompted by Roxy Smith!

It's when House wakes up in Chase's body, and Chase wakes up in House's body.

House leaps out of bed "Oh _come on!"_ He groans, rubbing his temples viciously "How many voodoo witch curses are gonna be cast on us? I mean seri-" he stops short, because he's catching sight of himself in the bathroom mirror, and Christ, he looks like a teenager. Well, Chase looks like a teenager, but it's so much more obvious like this. Chase's long blond hair flops into his forehead, and his eyes are so sparkling and so blue, and he's blissfully naked. Chase looks a little different, because House stands a little prouder, taller, giving the young Aussie an intelligent, more confident and dominant air than he usually has. And that's when House realises.

He doesn't have leg pain in this body!

But then-

He turns, mildly horrified, to see himself-well, Chase- doubled over in pain, clutching his thigh. "Chase!" He cries, running over to his bottle of Vicodin and popping two pills, which he hands to Chase, who swallows them dry. House is a little stunned seeing himself from this different point of view. Man. He should shave. But then, the rugged look did seem to attract Chase, the young man he's been sleeping with for the last month. They're not in a relationship- god, by no means, if anything, House is meaner to Chase now that they've started sleeping together. They have sex maybe three times a week, and that's about it. No relationship, no cuddling, even today is an anomaly, because normally House would have kicked Chase out of his bed right after he'd cum.

"Oh my god," Chase gasps, eyes wide "How the hell do you cope with this?"

House blinks at the sound of his own voice. He sounds pretentious. "I-" he cuts himself off, because there's a note on the wall, he plucks it off and rolls his eyes "As always, this is gonna last three days."

"Three days of this?" Chase hisses in pain, and House feels a little bad for him.

...

...

...

They've written each other strict guidelines to follow. Or rather, Chase has written House strict guidelines, and was almost in tears as he begged House to promise he would follow them. House had rolled his eyes, and run out of the House, almost skipping as he kick started his motorcycle to Chase's apartment. He jangles the keys Chase gave him in his hands and whistles a merry tune, amazed and the sound of his Australian voice. Chase's fridge is a huge disappointment, nothing but healthy snacks, and the spare bedroom has been made a home gym. He headed into Chase's bedroom, stripping off, and just standing in front of the mirror to admire his naked form. "Dear god, I'm pretty," he murmured, swiping his fingers through his hair, before wandering to Chase's wardrobe.

He rolled his eyes at how ordered everything was. Slipping on some black underwear, he picked out a pair of jeans, and winced at the terrible colours of Chase's clothes. He ended up picking out a green shirt and tie, with a dark green sweater vest, he had to look the part after all. They'd made an arrangement to act like their new respective bodies in the hospital, to avoid getting thrown in the Psyche Ward. He had to feed Chase's cat, apparently, and did so with a grumble, before leaving.

"Hey, Chase!" A bright voice called, and House winced, turning and forcing a smile as a large busted girl came jogging down the hall "What's up, handsome?"

"Uh...nothing?" _Damn. Chase never said anything about neighbours._

She just laughed luckily, flicking her long dark hair over her shoulder "I was just wondering how the thing with your boss went, finally tell him you love him?" She seemed nice, and caring, acting like an older sister as she ruffled Chase's hair, and House was so startled at being treated so nicely by a woman without having to pay her.

"Uh...h-he sent me home again."

"Aw," she pouted, kissing his cheek "Don't worry hon', he'd be a fool to let you go."

...

...

...

Chase sat at House's desk, counting the seconds till he could take his next dose of Vicodin. He suddenly felt awful for ever saying anything untoward about House's addiction. "House!" Came a loud voice, and Chase jumped, before realising that House _never_ jumped. He looked up as Wilson came into his office "Are you seriously proposing we maim the little girl in the cancer ward?"

"Um...no?"

Wilson blinked. "Oh." He frowned, shrugging, before coming into the office and sitting down, Chase stiffened, if anyone was going to notice something was up about House, Wilson did. "What's with the fancy get-up?" He gestured to what Chase had dressed House in.

"For _fucks sake,_ Chase!" House exclaimed as he stormed into the office "Why the hell are you wearing a tie? I thought we said act like each other! When have I ever worn a tie?!"

Chase stared up at himself with wide eyes, and Wilson stood with a sigh. "I don't know what witch curse this is, but call me in three days," and he left. Chase stumbled to stand up

"I couldn't find anything else!" He defended "Your house is such a mess-"

"Yeah, well you didn't tell me about your neighbour! When she started bombarding me with questions about how yo-"

"Come on, House," Foreman chuckled, as he and Cameron walked in, and House sighed when he realised they were looking at Chase "Chase can't have irritated you this much in a few minutes."

Chase swallowed thickly, wondering what the correct House response was; "You know the Brit," he tried weakly, and House rolled his eyes in exasperation "Just bragging about his late night escapades. Chase, go finish my clinic hours," Chase smirked to himself, now _that_ sounded like House. House glared at him, before mock saluting

"Yes Sir!"

Chase sighed.

Foreman shrugged "What's with Chase?" He asked, handing the file to Chase, who took it with shaking fingers. He just shrugged, as Cameron elaborated.

"A 9 year old girl was brought in with hallucinations and heart arrhythmia." She explained, and Chase realised with dawning dread that _he_ was supposed to come up with a brilliant diagnosis within a few moments, he scanned through the file, trying to think of what House would say. But then he realised, that he was a doctor too! He scanned it quickly, swallowing

"Brain MRI?"

"Completely clean." Foreman sighed "As is her blood work."

"Neurological?"

Cameron frowned. "In a 9 year old girl?"

 _Crap._ Chase thought, this was harder than he thought. "Well..." he stumbled "What do you think?"

Foreman looked thoughtful "We could MRI the heart, see if there's a tumour."

Chase nodded "Or..." Now this sounded like House, act as though he knew the answer and he was making the others jump for it. Cameron bit her lip

"We check for a loss in time, maybe seizures, could be epilepsy?"

"Do both." He nodded, watching them run to do his beck and call. It was an oddly powerful feeling, and Chase didn't like it. He liked _being controlled_ not controlling people. He sighed, collapsing back into the chair, before noticing that the time was due for his next dose, he popped two pills with shaking fingers and whispered a small prayer for this pain to just end. He was amazed, in awe at House's bravery and tolerance. Suddenly everything the morose doctor did made sense.

...

...

...

"Hey, Chase," the head of surgery called, and House grumbled to himself. Yes, yes, yes, it was all very good not having to limp, but he hadn't been able to put his good feet up all day. First, all of the clinic hours, and nurses flirting with him all day, and now this. 

"Yeah?"

Tom laughed "Remember? You said you'd cover for me this surgery so I could go see my daughters recital?"

House inwardly cursed Chase, and he nodded with a forced smile "Of course, yeah," and he watched the man leave. The entire day continued like that, and he was wearing thin, finally getting to his very late lunch, he realised that Chase was a _nice_ person. He couldn't say no to people, and he didn't want to say no to people. He sighed, sneaking his secret bottle of vodka out of the bookcase, only for it to be snatched out of his hand.

"You are _not_ putting that toxin in my body." Chase snapped. House glared up at him.

"Your life sucks." He stated unhappily "Why do you do everybody's clinic hours for everyone? Take a goddamn break."

" _My life?"_ Chase exclaimed, gesturing to his cane "House, you're in agonising pain every day! Why don't you say anything?" His voice broke, and House sighed dejectedly.

"It becomes tolerable after a few months."

Chase stares at him in awe. _"You're amazing."_ He breathes, and it just makes House uncomfortable to be stared at with that level of adoration. He doesn't like to display how strong he has to be.

"Stop looking at me like you love me. I've never looked at you like that."

That snaps Chase out of it, and he turns, limping away.

If House feels a pang of guilt and regret, he chalks that up to Chase's body.

...

...

...

When House wakes up on the fourth day, himself, it a little bit of a relief. The familiar pang of his leg is soothed, and he figures Chase must have massaged it quite vigorously last night. He teeth taste like fluoride and he rolls his eyes, realising that Chase brushed his teeth for him. He hobbles up and gets dressed, and confesses to himself that he misses Chase's cat, and he misses Chase's protective neighbour. He limps into work, to see Chase at the table, doing a crossword, head downcast. "No clinic duty for you today," House calls "You're working yourself straight into the grave."

Chase smiles sullenly.

House rubs the back of his neck, other hand tight around his cane. He's missed his cane. "Wanna come over tonight?"

"No."

That makes House blink. Chase has never said no before. "Why?"

" _Because,_ House." Chase growls, eyes burning "Because I want this to be something more than sex, and you don't, and so I'm trying to move on, and you can hire a stripper." He stands stiffly, turning to make himself coffee, shoulders rigid. House watches his back curiously. And he realises there is nothing he can say to make this better, other than the truth. As much as he tries to ignore it.

"When did I say that?"

Chase freezes.

House steps closer "You're _kind,_ Chase. Inexplicably kind. I never realised that. I thought it was just ass-kissing but...you're kind. And you're tidy, and you cook, and you have a cat, and everyone seems to love you, including m-" he cuts himself off, and Chase turns, eyes wide with tears and surprise

"Really?" He whispers, to the unfinished statement, and House nods. Chase is catapulting himself into House's arms, the hug is tight and fierce, and Chase's head fits perfectly into the crook of House's neck, where silky blond curls caress his jaw.

House, in his broken body, nods. "Really, Wombat." And he captures his lips in a rough kiss, and House knows that being in Chase's body, he wouldn't like the feel of this, he'd feel stubble and roughness, but now, he feels Chase's warm, soft lips, and he tastes of coffee. And Chase loves this how it is, he loves the feel of House's beard and domineering hands.

_Really._

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry if this felt a little rushed, I'm tired :(  
> x


End file.
